Last Friday we chose (yes, of our own volition) to say goodbye to sunny skies and 55 degree temperatures, and travel to gray skies and 25 degree temperatures. We set off for a week of fun with my parents and extended family in Michigan, and my boys were ecstatic to hear there was snow waiting for them - with the outlook of lots more on the way!
Our 12 hour drive was uneventful, which is what you want on a long road trip with kids, and as each hour passed, we noticed the temperature drop and the snow accumulate. When we reached the hills of West Virginia and saw a dusting of snow, Grady Lee yelled from the back of the van, "The blizzard! It's here! We're driving into the snow storm that is at Grandpa and Grandma's house!" I smiled and told him he hadn't seen anything yet.
Everyday involved a couple more inches of fresh snow and new snowy adventures of some sort: sledding, night walks, snow ball fights, snowmen, king of the mountain, you name it. A huge thank you to family and friends who loaned all the necessary snow gear for my kids. I'm certain our light fleece gloves and hats wouldn't have cut it.
For being southern wimps, I was pleasantly surprised with how "daring" my kids were. Snow in the face? Not a problem. Wiping out while sledding? Just a tactic to perfect for bragging rights. Wearing 15 pounds of extra clothes every time we left the house? No biggie.
I admit it. The snow was beautiful and it was fun to enjoy a week of winter wonderland. It was even more fun to know I would soon say goodbye to the cold and the snow and the salt-covered cars and the planning an extra 10 minutes of time to get kids dressed before leaving the house routine.
My brothers had a couple of days off during the week and were able to enjoy sledding with us. My boys think Uncle Joe and Uncle Jeremiah are the coolest "because they know how to do awesome things in the snow" and they are "really strong and fast." And, my nephew was even able to join us for a few afternoons of fun. (A big thank you to to his laid-back mom who agreed to let him leave school early so he could maximize time with his cousins!)
We planned for a day of tubing on some excellent hills nearby, but that didn't come together as planned. It was only the adults who were bummed - the little people were more than happy to enjoy plastic sleds on small hills near home.
My mom planned a special day for us: hot tubbing in the snow! We enjoyed a hot tub for an hour and a half while big, fluffy snow flakes floated all around us. It was perfect. By the midpoint, by boys got brave enough to jump out of the water and lay in the snow around them. It only took Grandma showing them a time or two how much "fun" it was to slather snow all over your body, count to twenty (or however long you could bear it!), and then slide into the hot water. Annalyse would have nothing of the sort and was more than happy to simply float around the water without getting out.
We arrived home late this afternoon and the cold, snowy weather is far behind us. But, the special times with family, the fun memories, and the treasured moments together are still at the front of our minds. Annalyse has already asked when we can see Grandma and "Franpa" again, and Micah has asked if "we can live in Michigan for a month next winter instead of only one week." Hhhmmm. Maybe. I'll think about that one.
No comments:
Post a Comment